The Real British Food Crisis

If you read our last blog post on the #courgettecrisis you’ll be aware of the recent epidemic of empty shelves sweeping our supermarkets, the effect of poor weather in European countries, in particular Spain, the biggest producer of our foreign fresh produce.

Currently Britain imports an estimated 50% of it’s vegetables and 90% of it’s fruit. If those empty shelves didn’t effect you because you’re a seasonal eater, then give yourself a pat on the back.

We think that the shortage of endless varieties of fruit and veg year round isn’t the crisis, it’s our disconnect to what’s natural that’s the big problem. Us Brits are used to getting our hands on any food at any time of the year, come rain or shine, especially if we’re able to pay a premium. News and social media showed shoppers up in arms without their Spanish iceberg lettuce to bulk out their salads, having lost sight of the month and all the brilliant things available closer to home.

At the time of the #courgettecrisis Britain wasn’t experiencing any shortages, with over 25 varieties of fruit and veg available at reasonable prices, like beetroot, kale and cabbage.

We think we should reconnect ourselves with the British seasons by supporting our local growers and learning about how our food lands on our plates by growing our own fruit and veg, even those of us living in cities can get our green fingers going with the right variety.

Still fancy summer bounty in the winter? We don’t blame you. When they’re in season, freeze them and dig them out later in the year.

Learn more about what the British seasons have to offer with our calendar here.